6 G Suite Tips to Better Your Business

G Suite is a powerful platform for running any business. It’s a productivity suite of well-known Google apps, like Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and business chat and video-conferencing apps. Even for those who use this suite every day at work, there may be a few apps, features and pro tips you don’t know yet.

1. Try the new business dashboard.
Google announced the new Work Insights dashboard in late September, and it’s amazing. For anyone managing a group of people, you can find out a wealth of info about how everyone is using G Suite. There are charts that show how often people use Gmail, Google Docs and other apps. You can check to see how often everyone is using the entire suite as well.

2. Check activity in Google Docs.
Most seasoned G Suite users already know you can easily collaborate in Google Docs. You can make comments, type text in the same doc and chat with anyone in real time. Last March, Google added a new feature in G Suite that applies to Docs, Sheets and Slides. It’s amazingly useful, because you can see when people last checked a document to make edits or approve the content. To enable the Activity feature, check the Admin console.

3. You can combine data from one spreadsheet into another.
Here’s a pro tip even for people who know how to make calculations already in Google Sheets and run their spreadsheets like a guru. You can pull data from another spreadsheet using the =IMPORTRANGE feature. This article explains step by step how to use this function.

4. Jamboard isn’t just for people who own the massive whiteboard.
Jamboard is a unique Google product that helps you collaborate. It costs $5,000 and is an interactive board you can write on for taking notes while discussing ideas. However, you might not realize the app is available to anyone who uses G Suite. Under the Google Apps menu, look for the Jamboard option. You can jot down notes with a stylus or mouse.

5. Smart Compose now works in G Suite.
Google experiments with new features and apps in the consumer space, but eventually they make their way to G Suite. One example of this is called Smart Compose. It first appeared in the app Google Inbox, then appeared in Gmail. It now works in G Suite.

When you compose an email and type a phrase like “Do you want to meet next week?” you will see a suggested phrase. So, if you type “Do you want to meet next…,” Gmail will add “week” automatically. To use the suggestion, just press the Tab key. It learns as you compose more emails too.

6. You can use closed captioning in Google Slides.
Another feature that can help during a business presentation is to enable closed captioning. When you present to a group, you can speak into a microphone and have Slides type what you are saying so that the text appears on the slide. To enable the feature, click the Present option and then click on Closed Captioning in the lower part of the screen.